Page 26 - EMAS 2021_24Sept

PRODUCTS & SERVICES
SINGAPORE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY DIRECTORY 2020/2021
EMBRACING NEW CLEANING AND
DISINFECTING TECHNIQUES TO
PREPARE FOR THE NEW NORMAL
By Jeremy Kong, Decontamination Expert with Republic Polytechnic
The very first case of COVID-19 in Singapore was reported on 23 January 2020 after a 66-year- old Chinese man from Wuhan developed symptoms and fever after arriving in Singapore. [1] Soon, such imported cases eventually led to clusters of local transmissions being formed, with the first clusters reported on 4 February 2020 at Yong Thai Hang [2] and on 5 February 2020 at Grand Hyatt Singapore. [3] The increase in local infection clusters led to a surge in demand for both cleaning and preventive disinfection services.
Initial challenges faced in providing disinfection services include the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the need to quickly step up disinfection training for the Environmental Service (ES) workforce. As of May 2020, supplies have stabilised and most companies offering disinfection services have received necessary training. ES professionals are also seeking ways on how to better equip themselves to battle the current situation and to prepare themselves for post- pandemic Singapore.
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